asking for help with black paint

[David Lyga]

To 'touch up' a black SLR body I have tried enamel paint, but it wears off after a couple of weeks. There must be automotive body people out there who know the answer to this problem. How do I get paint to remain on the metal? Thanks all. - David Lyga

 

[Kisatchie]

Give Scalecoat I (not Scalecoat II) LOCO BLACK a try. It has a satin finish that's beautiful.
EDIT: If you want a pure gloss finish, use plain BLACK.

I painted some brass with it and left it out in direct sun in summer for a day to "bake" it on. I found it was almost impossible to get off once thoroughly dry.

See: http://www.weavermodels.com/page8.html

 

[2F/2F]

I would not bother doing this myself, but maybe some POR15 would work for you.

 

[Trask]

Every time I've come across an answer to this question, I've clipped it and saved for future reference. So I'm glad to finally be able to benefit from my labor! One item in my files reads:

The best and most durable gloss black in a spray-can that I've found for
a motorcycle is PJ1 Fast Black, which is billed (truthfully) as "Gloss
Black Porcelain Hard Epoxy Paint." It is applied without a primer and
takes many hours to dry, but it's MUCH harder than Krylon. I think they
also make a crinkle-paints and other colors than black.

I must admit I haven't tried PJ1 on a camera, but that is what I would
try if I decide to paint cameras in the future. Most subminis seem to
be aluminum, so it would be easy to find other aluminum objects to
practice spraying (and perhaps baking) techniques before trying them on a
camera.

And the other reads:


I have done some playing with paints. None I have found come close to
the factory toughness. Black nail polish makes a surprisingly good
touch-up for glossy paint. Xynolite Rust-Mate Epoxy is the best spray
paint I've found Pretty tough when baked. All of the paints I've used
improve quite a bit when baked. Of course, we have to prepare the
surfaces perfectly, and use a primer if it is called for.

I have no experience with either, unfortunately.

 

[onepuff]

You didn't say what the material you are painting is? If it is brass then any enamel type model paint would do for small touch-ups. If it is titanium though, you are out of luck as I haven't found anything which will stick well to titanium without heat curing. I haven't tried painting magnesium alloy.

You should thoroughly clean and abrade the area before painting by the way.

 

[Smudger]

Basic rules apply : Degrease surface. Roughen slightly.Degrease again. Apply Etch Primer. Apply top coat/coats of choice.
Best results if you can oven-bake the top coat (which has its own problems,obviously).
The single coat methods are rarely durable,but may be ok for non-wearing surfaces.

 

[David Lyga]

Thank you all. This is an example of one question answering many. First, I want it for 'standard' SLRs, like the Chinon LCM or even a Nikkormat. I quess (?) that this is steel, not brass. And what should I get: matte, semimatte, or glossy? - David Lyga

 

[BetterSense]

From what I have heard, Gun-Kote is very tough. It's basically powder coating that you can do in your oven.

Dead Link Removed

Might be worth a try.

 

[resummerfield]

Are you "touching-up" by applying a very small amount of paint to a very limited area with a small brush tip, or are you over-coating a larger panel by air-spraying the paint? In either case, you'll need to properly prepare the area like Smudger suggests.... degrease, roughen, degrease, prime, and then apply the top coat.

For very small "touch-ups", I have been pleased with the gloss black enamel from Micro-Tools. Apply it very sparingly with a very small brush tip, and let it dry for several days.

 

[John Koehrer]

What color's the metal showing through the original paint?
If yellow/gold, it's brass. I believe the Nikkormats were brass no idea about the Chinon

 

[David Lyga]

Yes I think that you are correct, the hue is yellowish, thus brass. I guess most bodies are brass. I just assumed that metal would have been cheaper to market.

resummerfield: I am 'touching up'. You know: when the body starts to get that 'used' look I want to brighten it up. I still do not know if gloss, semi-gloss, or matte are best.

 

[John Koehrer]

Hi David,
Not all are brass, many are now "resin" including some of the more expensive. There are also some that use cast aluminum alloy or something similar.
The gun finish is recommended by many as being durable.

 

[sangetsu]

Personally, I love the look of brassy cameras. Real photographers have brassy cameras, not minty-looking shelf queens. Some posers here in Tokyo actually use fine sandpaper to rub the paint off the edges and corners of their cameras. My old Leica M4 has been used so much that I managed to rub off the chrome finish on much of the camera. I had it stripped and repainted black last year, but it is already starting to get beautifully brassy again...